Who hear "wears" their babies? Isaac has a couple slings (by Slinglings) and a Mei Tai carrier and loves them. Once he's in there he settles in for a nap, or just enjoys being carried by mommy. I love them because I have both hands free to do things around the house while I still hold him. It's also nice when going out - taking baby out in a stroller makes it seem like he is on display for any stranger to oogle, but the carrier keeps him close to me and strangers are less likely to pinch his cheeks or ruffle his hair. I suggest babywearing to all new mommies - try it out, you'll love it!! To those who already wear their babies - what kind of carriers do you like best?
No babies here, but I make ring slings for all my friends when they have new little ones around. made one for my sister a few months ago when she had her daughter (my first niece!) and she said it's their favorite of all their babywearing devices! (It's a single layer twill batik, with a pleated shoulder and nylon rings) I'm thinking about getting into making mei tais, because they're really cool and it seems like I'd have more chance of creative expression with them. To be honest, and this is a little silly - the thing that has stopped me from trying them out is I can't figure out how to pronounce the name! :tongue: I don't want to appear so uneducated in the do's and don'ts of babywearing... especially if I ever try to sell them!
I believe Mei Tai is supposed to be pronounced "may-tie" although most people I've heard pronounce them "my-tie" so I think either way goes. I LOVE Mei Tai's. I bought one and Isaac loved it, so now I am looking into buying another one. The one I have is khaki and black corduroy, and now I want one with some more color/pattern to it! They are really popular so you could probably make good money selling them. The one I bought was made locally and cost me almost $80 bucks! (It's a real sturdy one though, worth the extra money to me). I wish I was handy enough sewing to make something like that myself. I can barely sew a button on a shirt though!
I wore both of my babies. I hadn't heard of a sling with my son, but he was in a "backpack" carrier (I think it was Gerry) constantly from about 4 months to about 9 months - and whenever we were out until about 20 months. He didn't want to be ANYWHERE but on our backs, or in our arms. It made him happy, so we figured that wearing him must be a good thing. It wasn't until he'd long outgrown that phase that we learned that we were on the right track after all. With my daughter, I used a sling - don't remember the name of it, but it looked like most of the ring-style slings I've seen recently. We slung her on our front, and then later used it to help while she hung onto our hips. My husband actually wore both of my kids as often as I did... and they loved it. They would bring their carriers to him when he walked in the door, and say "Kewwy me Daddy!" DD was in her sling from about 8 weeks old, until just past 3 years old. She loved it... and now she slings her dolls in a silk scarf I found out rather quickly that you can actually NURSE while your little one is in a sling! And when you've got a wriggling toddler that will do anything to stay uncovered while eating, it's far easier to do so discreetly, since the sling keeps you "covered" better than a blanket or your shirt!) I recommend them as well love, mom
I LOVE baby-wearing. I'll wear any baby. I'm not picky! I've even become so accustomed to having my sling on, that sometimes I won't notice that I still have it on hours after dropping M off at the sitter's! On Monday, at dinner, I got to hold a petite little 6 month old and had her kangaroo-style in my sling, with M balanced on my hip. Needless to say, baby's momma was SOOO impressed and immediately wanted to buy one! I have my sling (from mayawrap), a mobi wrap, a mei-tai *pronounced my-tie around here*, and a bjorn. The bjorn is gathering dust in the back of a closet. I prefer my sling for short trips or around the house, the mei-tai for long walks, hikes, and concerts where I don't want to let her down to walk. The mobi wrap is for daddy. I love my maya wrap for other reasons: It's a seat belt in a shopping cart or in restaurants where there is no booster (like starbucks), it's a leash for mobile toddlers that dart away, and a blanket for laying under baby while you change her in public places. LOVE LOVE LOVE baby-wearing.
I love slings and carriers, although Nora is getting a touch heavy now. For the first 3 or 4 months I used a Moby Wrap, which I loved, and still do. Then she got really whingy whenever she was in there, so I got an Ergo Baby Carrier, which was really good, cause it has broad straps and most of the weight rests on your hips. A couple of months ago I swapped my Ergo for a Yamo Carrier, just because it looks nicer. It's just as comfy, but has no pockets like the Ergo. I also have a ring sling, but only use it occasionally, because it's really bad for my back.
I have heard that the Baby Bjorn is really bad for the babies hip development, because they just hang in there and all the weight rests on the babies pubic bone - especially bad for boys, for obvious reasons. Also I hear loads of parents complaining about back pain after wearing it, so I don't think it's recommendable. I LOVE your siggy pics by the way, she looks so much like you it's amazing. And those cheeks! *squish* The Beco Baby Carrier is supposed to be good too, and has lovely designs, but in my opinion very over-priced.
DS has a Snugli (given to us as a gift) and we both hate it. It rests all his weight on his crotch area and no way is that comfortable. I liked the idea of wearing him that way though, so I went out and got a Mei Tai instead. It's way more versitle than the snugli anyways. I can wear him on my front, back, or hip (once he's a bit older) and wear him not just when he's an infant but as a toddler too.
Yes, that's the good thing about the Ergo and Yamo carriers as well, that you can wear them three different ways. Although I usually wear Nora in front.
manny and I love our moby... we bring it with us everywhere we go. Today we went uptown in the car. When we got to the central location, I just wrapped us up and we were off. He nursed, had a nap, flirted with some pretty ladies, nursed some more and had another wee nap... happy as a clam the entire time. For the record, he weights 25 pounds and is 8.5 months old... my back never hurts. In fact its easier for me to carry him in the moby than in my arms as I get wrist and elbow pain.
True, I find the Moby Wrap most comfortable for my back as well, but I just get incredibly sweaty when it's hot (which it is at the moment) so I tend to use the Carrier now. But the Moby is brilliant, what colour does yours have, icedteaproncess? *nosy*
mine is a chocolate brown. I tend to wear a lot of earth tones, so it always "goes" with what we wear (not that this is a big concern of mine!) I wear a tank top with easy boob access, and dress Manny is something simularily cool. I bring a big cardigan that I can wear around both of us if it gets cold. There is usually a little sweat, but I wrap it looser up top now, so he has a great range of movement.
I've never tried a Moby Wrap, it always looked like a lot of fabric to wrap around myself and I am always sweatin down here in Texas as it is! How easy is it to learn to use?
I heard that carrying your baby against you in a sling vs carrying him or her in a stroller will actually add to a strong mother child bond. I guess carrying him away from you gives him the feeling that that's where he's supposed to be, as apposed to being snuggled right against your chest. I'm imagining that for him to be able to hear your heart beat is also important. If and when I have children, that's going to be how I carry them around. It would make me feel more secure too, being able to hold him close. My mom used a sling, she always carried me right up against her chest, and that way she could get things done around the house when i was fussy
There's an babywearing organization called "Nine In Nine Out" that believes that you carry your baby nine months in the womb, and should carry your baby at least nine months outside the womb as well - for those same basic reasons. Babies spend the beginning of their lives inside their mothers, as close as one person can possibly get to another. Being born is quite a shock to the system, and there is lots to experience and learn, so continuing that closeness to mother will help a baby adapt healthily to the world around him.
I wear my baby every day, but I am also a stroller user. I use a Hotsling, and I love it because it is so easy to use and put the baby in fast. I have used it since she was a newborn and now I love it more because of the hip hold. Now that she is wanting to play with things, she is reaching for everything when she's in the sling so I've started putting her in a stroller and she loves sitting up to look around and play. I have to admit, I love when my baby gets attention, so that doesn't bug me at all. I use both the sling and stroller depending on where I am. I couldn't be without my sling, but I have both a Snugli and a Baby Bjorn that were donated to me, i think I've used each one once LOL, they are just not comfortable at all for me or the baby.
What's so nice about slings is that they fold up really small so you can easily take them with you wherever you go. Can't say that about a bjorn :H
Hi... I'm new here I LOVE babywearing!! I have a few stretchy wraps, two woven wraps, a MT, an ERGO, a few pouches, a few slings (maya and mamamade)... I love them all... but my Favs are really the woven wraps, for comfort and versitility... and they are SO pretty too! Beside putting babe in an old stroller I found while I garden (It doesn't roll..lol) we haven't used a stroller...I really don't know how I could live without a carrier of some sort...
My son is too big for me to carry now but I have a friend who makes awesome wraps, wool ones, stretchy ones, terry cloth ones- check out gypsymama.com. H
